Arsène Wenger believes Arsenal have been suffering from nerves in front of their own fans due to the "scepticism" around his side

Arsène Wenger's side are now sixth in the Premier League table Photo: Back Page Images

Arsène Wenger believes Arsenal have been suffering from nerves in front of their own fans following the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat by Manchester City on Sunday.

Arsenal were reduced to 10 men after just 10 minutes when Laurent Koscielny was shown a straight red card, before first-half goals from James Milner and Edin Dzeko sent the defending champions on their way to victory.

Vincent Kompany was also sent off late on to ensure both sides finished the game with 10 men as the Gunners suffered their first defeat in six Premier League games.

And Wenger believes the “scepticism” around his side this season has contributed to a tense atmosphere at The Emirates in recent games.

“I felt we started too timidly and with not enough authority,” said Wenger.

“You can see that nerves play a part in our team at the moment when we play at home.

“[The players are nervous] because they feel the scepticism around the team. The players feel that they want to do well.

“They have a great desire to do well, so maybe they’re a bit too anxious that they don’t respond completely to the expectation level of the crowd.”